Heritage Walks

The history of Delhi is fascinating and what adds to it is that several of the places, monuments have retained their historical identity and they are still relevant today. A brief peek into the interesting facets of Delhi is packed into the Heritage Walks conducted by many experts from time to time. There are several standard ones, several historians of Delhi do conduct such walks in collaboration with well known clubs or gratis. One of the easiest way to catch a glimpse of Delhi is through the two shows held at the majestic Red Fort and Purana Qila or Old Fort.

The Sound and Light show at Red Fort – Tuesdays to Sundays – Hindi Version – 7:30 – 8:30 pm and English Version – 9 to 10 pm.

Ishq hi Dilli at Purana Qila  – Monday to Sunday Hindi Version – 7:30 – 8:30 pm and English Version – 9 to 10 pm.

Other walks organized include – INTACH conducts heritage walks around Delhi. Details can be accessed from their site – www.intach.org . Delhi Heritage Walks conducted by Kanika Singh includes the Tughlakabad area, Chandni Chowk, Mehrauli…… There are some other walks like sampling of food of Chandni Chowk, the flower markets in Delhi, villages around Delhi….which are run from time to time. Most charge fees, there are a few which are new and more interesting. I will review some of these as we go along. May be in the future, I may start a few myself but not heritage, more contemporary of the present if you must!!!!

Dolls Museum

Ever want to relive your childhood – visit the Dolls Museum (Shankar’s International Dolls Museum). It transports one back to naïve times of fun and is rejuvenating. Visit with someone who is equally fascinated with dolls, well it is great fun. One can get the history of the place from the Museum itself. To put it simply, it is one man’s love for dolls – yes, K. Shankar Pillai, well known cartoonist, Editor of Shankar’s Weekly and founder of Children’s Book Trust (CBT) was gifted a doll by the Hungarian ambassador in early 1950. He loved it so much that he began seriously collecting costume dolls from various countries he visited. Today, nearly 4000 dolls are on display representing 85 countries. It is the world’s largest collection of costume dolls. Some beautiful pieces belong to the erstwhile Eastern Block. The beauty of the costume dolls is such that it transcends time barriers. What is more attractive is the hand embroidered costumes of the dolls. Each dress detailed to perfection to the last T. Incredibly beautiful, I have spent hours soaking the textile range in!

Location – On Delhi’s fleet street – Bahadurshah Zafar Marg. About 4 kms from Connaught Place.

Timing - 10 am to 6 pm (the ticket counter closes at 5:30 pm). The museum is closed on Mondays and other holidays. Parking is difficult or can be done across the road.

Highlight - Some of the prized dolls include the Kabuki dancers of Japan, Boys Festival and Girls Festival of Japan, Ten pairs of aborigines from Australia, Indonesian dolls….. many received as gifts from visiting dignitaries from the Madame Tito, Queen of Greece to the late Mrs. Indira Gandhi and Mr. Rajiv Gandhi.

Insider Tip - The museum has its own workshop which produces dolls for collectors and connoisseurs. Do visit the book shop also. The Udipi Hotel sells some tasty fare as also the food shop in the subway and a couple of street food vendors of naan / chole.

National Museum

The National Museum is the "prima donna" of all museums in the country. It unfolds a fascinating account of the 5000 history of Indian Civilisation from the Indus Valley Harrappan Civilisation dated to (2500 BC - 1500 BC) to objects till the 19th century. The 2,00,000 plus artefacts in its repertoire has been put together from excavations, donations, buying from antique dealers and those in the possession of the Government. However, less than 1/3rd of the objects are put on display. No pieces from the end of the Harappan Civilisation (1500 BC) to the 3rd Century BC have been excavated so far, hence there are no displays for this period.

The Museum has some of the finest pieces of Bronzes, Mauryan Art (the Mauryan Period 3rd Century BC). Two pieces stand out - the Mauryan Head and the ring stone. Described as outstanding pieces of stone work with the characteristic Mauryan polish. Jain Philosophy, Buddhist icons, the Kushana period pices.... The Museum also has an outstanding section on manuscripts, coins, pre-Colombian art, jewellery, ivory carving, silver pieces. The textile collection is ecelectic in its limited space. From icons, sculpture, paintings, writings.... it is gloriously spread over three floors.

Location - Far end of Janpath next to Vigyan Bhavan, just 1 km or so from Connaught Place.

Timings - It is open 10 am to 5 pm - Tuesdays to Sundays. Monday is closed. Entry fee is levied which is Rs. 10 for Indians and Rs. 150 for foreigners. Photography is allowed, camera fee Rs. 20 for Indians and Rs. 300 for foreigners.

Highlight - It has a lovely collection of Miniature Paintings. The Musical Instrument section which is gift from collector Sharan Rani Backliwal is mindblowing. It is a fascinating collection of instruments way back to 17th Century AD and earlier. Guide facilities are available as also recorded walks which one can put on to understand the history. Special exhibitions are hosted from time to time which showcase some of the finest collections from Indian History and Heritage like the Jewellery of Nizam, TAPI,

Insider Tip - Wear sensible walking shoes as the exhibits are spread over a large space. Some of the exhibits are timeless and it is hard to believe they were crafted centuries ago like the Saraswati at the foyer. Most of the Department heads possess wonderful knowledge on the collections, history, collecting in general and also specific nuances of each period. They are accessible and proud to explain the pieces and nuances of the various craft especially jewellery and textiles.

A one of its kind museum for crafts in Delhi - Crafts Museum

The National Museum of Handloom & Handicraft popularly called the Crafts Museum. For those of you passionate about handmade products - crafts some of which is so tedious and fine that it becomes an art literally - this is a definite must see. Paying tribute to the artistic mastery of the Indian craftsman, it is a kalaidescope of craft available in the country. Housing some of the finest collection of handcrafts from across India. It has an approximate collection of 22000 pieces. Outstanding is the collection of folk art - handpainted traditional paintings, tribal art & textiles. Handpaintings include Chitrakathi, Phad, Cherial, Kalamkari, Madhubani, Orissa Pat paintings, palm leaf paintings...the collection of cultic objects, toys & puppets, tribal art, household utensils is another highlight. The huge chariot, windows from old homes adds to the picturesque charm of this Charles Correa designed Museum. The textile collection upstairs truly encompasses the weaves, embroidery from across the country. It is a one stop place for craft enthusiasts. Be it in jewellery, textiles, woodcarving, painting... Though located on a cross section of a busy road, it is a literal far from the maddening crowd. Location - At Pragati Maidan, Bhairon Singh Marg, opposite the ramparts of the Delhi Zoo. It is roughly 3 kms from Connaught Place. Timings - Entry is free, it is open 10 am to 5 pm - Tuesdays to Saturdays. Closed on Mondays but live demonstration by craftsmen is open on Mondays too. Highlight - The live demonstration by craftsmen in the open thatched exhibition area together with a folk dance performer. Insider Tip - New craftsmen come in at the beginning of everymonth. There is a change in the craftsmen and craft demonstrated every month. You can at times get products handmade in front of you. All particpants are craftpersons specialists in their field, though now the selection is not what it used to be. Prices are reasonable with a fair bit of bargaining. ITPO (Indian Trade Promotion Organisation) Pragati Maidan also holds many exhibitions as also that at the Handloom Pavilion. These are held inside Pragati Maidan. One can always hop across to catch these. Do enquire persistently around as signboards are not easy to come by.

Museums in Delhi

Delhi has plenty of Museums to choose from - the Government run Museums & Library, to private collections and museums which can be visited by special appointments. They span a host of interest from technical to the general from specifics of hobby - textiles, stamps, dolls to the more general ones...a quick dekko (peek) with highlights of some well known ones, others not so frequented as we go along.